Flock Safety has launched "Have I Been Flocked?", a digital tool enabling motorists to verify if their license plates have been manually queried within the company's vast surveillance network. This initiative accompanies a suite of privacy updates aimed at calming public concerns regarding automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology.

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The 241 million searches in the public audit log

The "Have I Been Flocked?" website aggregates data from over 241 million Flock searches to provide a window into law enforcement activity. As the report notes, this database specifically tracks manual queries made by system users rather than every instance a vehicle passes a camera. This distinction is critical: the tool does not show every time a car is photographed, only when an officer or agent actively searches for a specific plate.

For individuals who discover their information in these logs, the site suggests a four-step response plan to address potential misuse:

  • Document: Save screenshots of the search result, including timestamps and agency info.
  • Request: File a public records request with the specific agency involved.
  • Investigate: Determine if there was a legitimate investigative basis for the query.
  • Escalate: Report improper searches to internal affairs, the state attorney general, or civil liberties groups like the ACLU.

    • Reducing data retention from 30 days to seven

    On August 13, Flock Safety announced several structural changes to mitigate the misuse of its 120,000-camera network. These reforms include dropping the recommended default data retention period from 30 days down to just seven days and requiring officers to input specific case codes before performing a search. This creates a more robust audit trail for every manual query performed on the platform.

    To balance privacy with active policing, the company also introduced an "Evidence Mode" to preserve data for ongoing investigations. additionally, the report indicates that Flock is implementing an "Audit Assistance" tool designed to flag abnormal search activity, which may result in automatic lockouts for users whose behavior meets certain suspicious criteria.

    New agency controls to block immigration-related searches

    Flock Safety is introducing new controls that allow local agencies to decide which types of cases other departments can use their camera data for.. This includes the specific option to block immigration-related searches , a move intended to address the intense scrutiny from organizations like the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

    These civil liberties groups have long warned that automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology could be weaponized to track the movements of vulnerable populations.. Concerns have specifically centered on the potential for surveillance data to be used in the context of immigration enforcement, reproductive healthcare access, and domestic disputes.

    The gaps in the publicly released audit logs

    While the "Have I Been Flocked?" tool provides a significant step toward transparency, it does not offer a complete view of the surveillance landscape. Because the database relies on audit logs obtained through public records requests, many searches conducted by law enforcement may never be visible to the public. It remains unclear how many manual queries are performed outside of these transparency portals,or how effectively the company's new automatic lockout system will prevent unauthorized searches in real-time.